New Hope Community Church is sponsoring a marionette version of The Nutcracker as a gift to the community this Christmas season. The string puppet Nutcracker Suite features traditional music and beautiful handcrafted marionette puppets performed by The National Puppet Theatre that has been creating and performing marionette shows throughout the country since 1950.

"My family started the National Puppet Theatre a few years before I was born," says Rev. Steve Norman. Making puppets and doing puppet shows was just a normal part of growing up in the Norman family. My earliest memory is being set down for a nap in an open puppet trunk as a baby. While most children went on a vacation during the summer months, I was traveling the country performing with my family. The marionette Nutcracker was packed in storage for many years until my daughter and her husband rebuilt and restored the show to its original charm in 2008. I am very happy to brush up on my puppet skills and present this show as a gift to the community on Dec 18th at New Hope Community Church."

This presentation is sure to capture audiences of all ages. Popcorn and drinks will be offered for a donation to support Clean Water Wells in Africa. More background information on the National Puppet Theatre may be found at www.nationalpuppets.com.